Today,
almost 6500 languages are
spoken around the globe. Various researches demonstrate learning a
second
language boosts brainpower, encourages cultural empathy, and
enhances new career prospects. Moreover, with
globalization, there has
been a steady rise in the demand for people who are able to communicate
in
multiple languages. Government agencies, organizations such as
educational institutes, hospitals, media
outlets & international
companies rely heavily on multilingual employees to smoothly execute
global
communications and operations.
The post focuses on the points
mentioned below:
Table of contents
- The Digital Shift of Language Learning
- Market Overview in Europe
- Country Wise
Analysis
- Top European Language Learning Platforms
- Scope for New Entrants in the
Market
- Launching an Online Language Learning Platform
- Marketing Strategies to Ensure
a Successful Start
- Engagement Strategies to Keep Ahead of the Pack
- Conclusion
Language Learning - The Digital Shift
The increase in smartphone
penetration along with a surge in demand for
digital learning has
shifted a very large user base from traditional classes to online
language
learning platforms. The convenience and flexibility offered by
platforms to learners & tutors make
it the preferred way to learn a
foreign language. The increasing adoption of these platforms is
substantially contributing to the growth of the online language learning
market in various
countries.
Along with other parts of the world, the
online language learning market in
Europe is also flourishing.
Market Overview - Language Learning Business in Europe
Europe is home to more than 100 languages. The vision document for European Education Area drafted by the European Commission recommends knowing two languages in addition to one's mother
tongue
should be standard. In fact, in most European countries,
it is
already a national
requirement for students to learn multiple languages, and therefore,
students begin studying their first foreign language as a compulsory
school subject between the ages of
6 and 9 years.
Russian, German, and French are the top
3 languages spoken in Europe followed by
English, Turkish, And Italian.
Corporations are
also jumping the
bandwagon and are heavily investing in online language learning programs
to bridge
the communication gap for their employees. As per Technavio,
another leading global research company,
the corporate online
language learning market is expected to grow
by USD 698.85 million during 2020-2024.
In order
to increase learner's
competencies, the use of digital technologies is highly promoted in
European
classrooms. The adoption of online language learning platforms
in the workforce is also having a
positive impact and significantly
contributing to the growth of the market.
These are some indications that the language learning market in Europe is
likely
to grow in the coming years.
Now,
let's have a look at our analysis of the few European countries.
Country Wise Analysis
- Online Language Learning Business
in the
UK: The
market in the UK is led by large language
service companies, multiple
mid-market players, and plenty of small companies, making the
estimated
active count of around 1600 players. People in the UK believe that
linguistic skills
are important for long-term career prospects and for
the economy, and therefore, the country has
several language learning
platforms evolving to make it easy for people to learn foreign
languages.
- Online Language Learning Business
in Germany: The
number of international students in Germany is increasing at a
phenomenal rate due to
which the country is dominating Europe's online
language learning market. According to Eurostat,
around 35% of the
population in Germany learns two or more foreign languages. The penetration of digital education and
demand for advanced language learning platforms has also contributed to
the growth of
the online language learning market of Germany to a large
extent.
- Online Language Learning
Business
in Poland: Polish citizens understand that
learning
English will boost their career prospects and help them find
better jobs, both domestically &
overseas. Studies reveal that more
than 25% of Polish are already learning or aspire to learn
English and
around 60% would like to reach an advanced level. This clearly shows
that now is a
suitable time to enter the language learning industry of
Poland.
- Online Language Learning
Business
in Greece: The
number of immigrants
living and working in Greece is steadily
increasing which has become a social as well as educational
challenge
for the country. To help the immigrants integrate well into society, the
government
has introduced several language learning programs. Around
97% of the population in Greece learn two
or more foreign languages,
according to a report by Eurostat. Another survey indicates high
interest by immigrants in learning Greek to mix into society and also
have easier access to the job
market. This clearly shows the present and future scope of language learning platforms in the Greek market.
- Online Language Learning Business
in Russia: Russians
show a strong interest in
studying foreign languages. The language
learning audience in Russia aged between 25-64, counts over
1 million
people. The language learning market is gradually shifting online and
will only keep
increasing. It is expected that by 2021 the size
of the
Russian online language learning market will grow to 10.7%.
Top European
Language Learning Platforms
- Babbel: Operating
since 2007, Babel
is a Berlin-based language learning platform that uses
a subscription business model and is
available in 7 different
languages. Available for web, iOS, and Android, the platform makes
it
easy to learn 14 different languages. Babbel has raised a total of $33.3
million in
funding to date and has more than 120,000 downloads per day.
An average customer uses the
platform for more than a year which is
quite an engagement rate compared to other
platforms.
- Preply: Initially launched as
a
marketplace for online SAT and ACT tutoring in 2012 & headquartered
in Kyiv (Ukraine),
Preply is an online language learning platform that
connects students with private tutors remotely
via online chat.
Operating in Russia, Poland, Ukraine, Mexico, Brazil, it has a network
of
10,000 tutors teaching 50 languages across the globe. The
company has recently received funding of $10 million to upscale its
market in North America and
Europe, including France, Germany, Spain,
Italy, and the UK. It will also allow Preply to develop its
mobile offering, streamlining its app to be more
efficient and user-friendly.
-
Tandem: Tandem is an app for
iOS
and Android that connects language learners with native speakers via
text, audio, and video
chat. The company was founded in 2014 in Germany
& supports more than 300 languages which
include 20 signs, 20
indigenous, and 6 fictional languages. The company has raised a total of
$8.3 million to date.
- Duolingo: Founded in 2011 by Luis
von Ahn & Severin Hacker, Duolingo is a language learning
website & mobile app which offers
98 different language
courses in 38 languages. It has more than 300 million users
registered on it. With a revenue of
around 36 million USD in 2018, the company has raised around
$183.3
million to date.
- Verbling: It is an online language
learning platform pairing students with language teachers via
video chat. In 2015, the
company raised $2.7m to expand its technology to more platforms and
broaden its market. Having a network of more than 10,000 teachers
offering classes in 43+ languages,
the platform also has Android and iOS
apps launched to deliver the lessons more easily.
Suggested Read: How To Build An Online Language Learning
Website Like Verbling- Business
Model & Key Features
- Fluentify: Founded in 2013, it
is
a fast-growing language learning startup using AI and ML to help
individuals learn a
foreign language for both conversational and
business use. The platform has also raised $2.1M
for developing and
expanding its offering into the French market.
- Tutlo: It is a modern language
learning platform that allows 1-on-1 live
learning sessions. It has over
200 teachers from different parts of the world including
Australia,
Canada, United Kingdom, the United States.
- e-Polish: The platform addresses
the people who are interested to learn Polish. Perfect for basic
as well
as advanced Polish learning, e-Polish has lots of customized courses
for the
students at different levels. The platform has professional
Polish tutors with a passion for
Polish teaching.
Scope for New Entrants in the Market
According to a report by The Insight
Partners,
the online language learning market in Europe is expanding at a
staggering speed & is
expected to reach $3.20 billion by the year
2027.
Since the market of online language
learning is in no mood of slowing down, this could be
the right time for
the entrepreneurs to plan & launch a language learning platform.
Launching an Online Language Learning Platform
Usually, the steps
of setting up a
language learning platform include:
- Planning the business
model
and revenue model
- Assessing market
trends
- Analyzing the
competition
- Jotting down the essential
technical features required
- Launching
the
platform
At the same time, it
also requires
in-depth planning of new and innovative features for the users as per
the market
requirements. However, all this is worth the time and effort.
Marketing Strategies to Ensure a
Successful
Start
A business without a
marketing plan
is like winking at a girl in the dark. It is important to have a proper
marketing plan to make your business appealing and valuable to potential
customers. Staying at
the top of your marketing strategies will help
you to attract new customers and retain the
existing ones as well as
enhance your presence among your key targets.
Below listed are some efficient and effective marketing strategies
to
stay ahead of the competition.
- UI/UX Design
Strategy: User
Interface (UI)/User
Experience (UX) should make the digital interaction
of the users as simple, intuitive,
fluid, and efficient as possible.
Make sure the platform has an optimized user interface to
offer easy to
navigate and intuitive user experience maximizing the opportunity to
convert visitors into users.
-
Offer
Discounts: This is a strong
promotional strategy that can give you an edge
over
your competitors by increasing sales and
improving your reputation. It not only helps the tutors and
learners on your platform but
also your business.
- Start
Local: Starting
the platform with one
city, dominating that niche market, and then
expanding nationally or internationally is a
suggested initial strategy.
It makes more sense as you are closer to the market, competition
is
less, and you can customize the platform and its features to the unique
needs of the
local market.
- Free Trials or
Subscription: Offer
free trial sessions to learners so that they can evaluate
the quality
of tutors on the platform and pay after they have made a decision. Free
subscription for initial days could trigger tutors to learn more about
the platform and
explore its features in detail.
- Launch a
Referral
Program:
Referral marketing could develop a huge customer base very quickly.
It
allows your users (tutors/learners) to promote your brand for you. As
more than 90%
of people trust personal recommendations, there is no
marketing plan that can match the
potential of this strategy.
Engagement Strategies to Keep Ahead of the Pack
When it comes to online learning, retaining and engaging students is
a
challenge. This is why it is needed to keep them
motivated on
the platform and offer them compelling & interactive features.
The key players in the market have
adopted such strategies
which have provided a boost to their growth.
Let's have a look at the list of strategies and
techniques to keep the
users engaged and stay ahead of the curve.
- Keeping
the
Competition Alive:
Learners are extremely competitive these days, so
incorporating a
competitive element into the platform keeps the learners motivated and
encouraged. Creating a league board where learners are ranked according
to their performance
is a superb idea to keep the competition alive.
- Interactive
Teaching:
Having interactive features on the platform enables learners and tutors
to experience a
seamless journey. Learners can learn the language
efficiently and without too much hassle.
Video/audio chat helps learners
to understand the pronunciation of new words clearly and
quickly.
- Experienced
and
Native Speakers:
Native and experienced speakers make the best tutors
to teach
languages. Practicing language with a native speaker exposes you to
idioms,
dialects, and slang. It makes learning a new language and a new
culture more
enjoyable.
- Introducing
Gamification:
Most people
prefer to play online games rather than learn a new
language. To tackle it, combining the
learning and gaming process on the
platform is a good idea to keep the users interested.
Gamification will
add a fun element to the platform to which users will become
addicted.
Wrapping Up
It is no doubt that the
increasing
adoption of digital education and implementation of the advanced level
of foreign
language curriculum in education are the key drivers of the
online language learning market in
Europe. Also, the European region is
anticipated to provide numerous profitable possibilities
for the players
in this industry.
The
online language learning market
is competitive where existing players face tough competition
from new
entrants. Therefore, it becomes crucial for all players to expand their
portfolio
as well as continuously innovate.
